LONDON (Reuters) - Britain gave the go-ahead to a new
generation of nuclear power stations on Thursday, setting no
limits on nuclear expansion and adding momentum to atomic
energy's worldwide renaissance.

The government argues that Britain must build nuclear
plants to help meet its climate change goals and to avoid
overdependence on imported energy amid dwindling North Sea oil
supplies.

"New nuclear power stations should have a role to play in
this country's future energy mix alongside other low-carbon
sources," Energy Secretary John Hutton told parliament.

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"I do not intend to set some sort of artificial cap on the
proportion of electricity the UK should be able to generate
either from nuclear power or from any other source of low
carbon energy," he added.

The government called nuclear energy an unattractive option
in 2003, but since then surging prices for oil and gas have
helped to make it more competitive and the focus on cutting
carbon emissions to fight climate change has intensified.

Already, countries such as France and Finland are building
new nuclear plants and, in the United States, companies have
begun filing license applications, reinforcing the view atomic
energy is part of the solution to the world's energy problems.

Nuclear operators say they could have new plants running in
Britain by 2017, which would help the government meet its 2020
goals for cutting carbon emissions to fight climate change.

"It is good news that decisions are finally being made. The
UK needs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while still
ensuring that we have secure sources of electricity each day,"
said Peter Williams, vice president of the Royal Society,
Britain's independent scientific academy.

FAST-TRACK

The government green light was accompanied by publication
of an Energy Bill to be fast-tracked through parliament with
the Climate Change Bill and the Planning Bill.

The trio of bills form the backbone of the government's new
energy and climate policy for the next decades.

The British public is divided on the issue, with 44 percent
saying companies should have the option of investing in new
nuclear power and 37 percent disagreeing.

Vincent de Rivaz, chief executive of EDF Energy, said the
government had to make a compelling case for nuclear power to
build public support, given the sensitivities over where plants
should be built and how waste should be disposed of.

Around 18 percent of Britain's electricity is generated by
nuclear power, but the last of Britain's existing nuclear
plants is scheduled to be closed by 2035. Analysts say
renewable sources of energy would not be sufficient to replace
them.

For opponents, the toxic waste from nuclear power
generation which will remain for thousands of years is one of
the powerful reasons to say atomic energy is not worth the
risk.

Environmental group Greenpeace last February won a legal
battle to force the government into a full public consultation.
It then withdrew from those consultations in September saying
they were biased and has said it might challenge again.

"That is something we are looking at. Our lawyers will be
examining the government's statement closely and we reserve the
right to mount a new legal challenge," a spokesman said.